sa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½

The monster in the Inner Harbour

Whatever in the world were they thinking? Who thought it would be a good idea to block the view of one of the most beautiful harbours in the world with this black/brown monstrosity? I guess the only good view of the harbour from Ship Point will be if you are lounging on the top of this brown and black behemoth.

Blake Handley

Victoria

Hospital nightmare because of a shortage

Re: “Doctors warn of staffing crisis at Salt Spring hospital,” May 23.

August 3, 1976, I was living on Salt Spring Island, when I went into labour expecting my first child and was hoping for a normal childbirth.

I was admitted to the Lady Minto hospital and after 20 hours of labour, complications arose. They could not detect baby’s heartbeat.

I was informed that I probably needed a Cesarean section but there was no gynecologist or maternity specialist on the Island to operate. On August 4, I gave birth to a stillborn baby girl because the umbilical cord wrapped around baby’s neck.

After nine months of normal on-time pregnancy, I came home empty-handed. If there was a trained gynaecologist or maternity expert, this tragedy could have been avoided.

After reading the article, that horrible memory came back and filled my eyes with tears again. Nothing has changed in all these years on Salt Spring Island.

Why? What else would it take to build medical capacity in remote communities? It’s a catch-22 situation that if everyone moves to bigger towns, we will have even a major crisis because there are not enough doctors available to provide services to all residents, and in smaller towns we cannot find medical professionals.

Besides, not everyone can afford to live in big cities.

There needs to be a coordinated joint effort from federal and provincial governments, health professionals, licensing authorities and immigration authorities to resolve this crisis. The status quo is not acceptable, nor will the patchwork solution of adding more seats to medical schools will work. We need trained medical professionals now.

To this date, 46 years later, I have not forgotten that nightmare and I struggle holding back my tears. Please don’t let the history repeat itself.

Mano Sandhu

Victoria

Bus riders impress when they help others

I am impressed with the younger people riding on buses who offer you their seat when the bus is crowded.

This includes generally people who are new to the country, and it is much appreciated.

Aging and disability are hard loads to tow, as is being a senior, but you have to accept your fate and go along with it.

The etiquette on the buses towards each other is heartwarming, especially when walkers are brought on and people jump up and assist the disabled person to settle in adjusting seats or moving to the back of the bus.

Valerie Bellefleur

Victoria

Pick best solution for the Pic-a-Flic closure

Pic-a-Flic’s announced closing feels as if someone has ripped up the diary of my life. There goes The Quatermass Experiment, which thrilled me in 1953, A Night to Remember, which was the last movie I saw with my father…etc.

All hail to Kent Bendall who has kept the video store humming along for all these years.

Here’s a possible solution: The University of VIctoria acquires the collection. It’s a significant resource, not just for teachers of film and theatre arts, but for those studying sociology, history, psychology etc. If stored in the library, the DVDs would still be available to the community at large.

The university would have the space, and the staff would have the know-how, to curate this significant collection.

Anne Moon

Victoria

Parade thoughts from a voice of experience

Here are a few observations from an 81-year-old veteran parade watcher re the mostly excellent Victoria Day Parade:

It was heartening to see so many young parents out with their toddlers; some in strollers, some being carried in loving arms.

Congratulations to organizers for showcasing the hundreds of teenagers and young people – each an enthusiastic participant, each giving their all, and proudly representing their particular group. Real heart-lifters.

Please, parade organizers, do not include again those very expensive cars that revved their engines so very loudly – for what purpose?

We had no idea why they were in the parade. This was the only group who didn’t generate cheers or waves. As their engines roared and screeched, most spectators stood scowling in stony silence.

Only a later viewing of the telecast produced the info that the owners support a charity. They obviously are not concerned about creating noise pollution – and what happened to being mindful of our planet?

The man who rode his penny-farthing bicycle for years in the parade was missed – as were a few other favourites.

The group of bicycle stunt riders were highly entertaining; and a great deal of practice was evident in there being no mishaps. Wow!

I was uplifted and proud to see Victoria Police Chief Del Manak walking the whole parade route. Now there’s a hero who has done a great deal for Victoria in a humble and quiet way, and has earned much respect.

Huge bouquets to the two young women who handled the antique fire truck so adeptly. To watch them circling this rather unwieldy wagon in such a tight space as Douglas Street was awesome to behold. Well done!

Margaret Spark

James Bay

Foreign interference should be investigated

Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre seems to not be very concerned about any interference in the political landscape when it came to his involvement with the right wing of the U.S. Republican movement.

He proudly posed for pictures with the anti-vaccine Freedom Convoy leaders, who were proven to be funded in the neighbourhood of $10 million foreign funds.

It is on record with Canadian law enforcement that significant elements of these groups displayed criminal and illegal behaviours and charges and convictions were made.

Poilievre hoped his right-wing support would tarnish the Liberals’ attempts to keep Canadians healthy. His involvement certainly did not show he cared about the health of Canadians.

Now he is getting his panties in a knot trying to allege involvement by the Liberals and Chinese involvement.

Despite any and all future investigations, he will continue to maintain this involvement as it suits his purposes to tarnish the Liberals before the next election.

After calling for an investigation, he now doesn’t like who led it, trying now to tarnish a former governor general’s objectivity.

Guessing he will keep slinging mud around trying to keep his face in the news as we near the next election.

Maybe there needs to be an investigation as to how much more dark money is coming north for him. It seems fair game.

Anne Miller

Langford

Here’s betting Charles has a sense of humour

Re: “Sensitivity training needed with letters,” letter, May 23.

I believe the Comment page is a place for people to express an opinion, and censorship should be rare. The person accusing another writer of needing sensitivity training leaves the cause of the offence unclear. Are they thin-skinned or simply not open to different points of view?

King Charles already has an Indigenous name. I don’t think he would be offended by being referred to as sa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½’s hereditary chief.

I bet it would actually bring a smile to his day. If that term helps Canadians relate to the monarchy, let’s use it.

Alanne Gibson

Victoria

The master is Top Gun, no matter what else

Re: “Sensitivity training needed with letters,” letter, May 23.

The Grand Chief/King comparison was cute. It was also light, humourous and may have expressed a mainstream point of view. Regardless, it showed how fickle is fealty: a political or religious master by any other name is still the Top Gun.

I know that this newspaper is alive to issues of sensitivity. Personally, I figure that one-in-20 of my submissions to the sa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ have been published.

I am batting 050. Good job TC.

Dick Rennie

Elizabeth Bay

Sense of humour and political correctness

Re: “Sensitivity training needed with letters,” letter, May 23.

A recent letter chided me for a letter I wrote, on the grounds that I lack sensitivity.

Fair enough. He is entitled to his sense of humour, as I am to mine.

But he also chided the TC for printing the letter, which I think is unfair.

He’s asking the TC to (a) agree with his sense of humour (assuming he has one) over mine and (b) to prefer political correctness squared (or maybe cubed) to free speech.

I quit having Pablum for breakfast when I was two. I trust I won’t have to restart now that I’m 80.

Ian Cameron

Brentwood Bay

Historically accurate term was used

Re: “Sensitivity training needed with letters,” letter, May 23.

Methinks the author forgot how historically accurate the term hereditary chief is for the new king,

I also like throwing in some “cheek” in my letters, that is why I constantly chastise the editors for not having any big person pants.

This time they finally did.

Grant Maxwell

Nanaimo

Sometimes, a bicycle is not the best choice

Being within cycling distance of a hospital is not much use when you need to go to the hospital.

Malcolm Dew-Jones

Victoria

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